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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Get Kris Allen's post-American Idol album "Kris Allen" containing "Live Like We're Dying", "Heartless", "Red Guitar" plus 10 more songs! Available as both an MP3 full album download or as a CD delivered to your door.

Order from Amazon NOW by clicking the banners below, or get the regular or Deluxe (with videos) mp3 versions from iTunes by clicking the banner on the top right of the Blog.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Get Kris Allen's post-American Idol album "Kris Allen" containing "Live Like We're Dying", "Heartless", "Red Guitar" plus 10 more songs! Available as both an MP3 full album download or as a CD delivered to your door.

Order from Amazon NOW by clicking the banners below, or the regular or Deluxe (with videos) mp3 versions from iTunes by clicking the banner on the top right of the Blog.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying' Live on Good Morning America November, 17 2009. Order the single below or the full debut album by clicking the iTunes or Amazon banners on the right side of the Blog!

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Sometimes, good guys do finish first. That's what supporters of "American Idol" winner Kris Allen believe on the eve of the debut release from last season's soft-spoken champion.

With Allen's album due Tuesday, the long journey from surprise winner to young man on the cusp of superstardom is just beginning. Though, in typical Allen fashion, the buildup to his musical debut has been much more subtle than the fireworks and silver lip-gloss barrage of news and images from runner-up Adam Lambert.

In fact, until the leak of Allen's album last month, the premature release of snippets of his songs two weeks ago and the recent debut of his big budget-looking first video, news about Lambert appeared to be vastly overshadowing updates on the guy who actually took the "Idol" crown all those many months ago.

"Absolutely, I've noticed the discrepancy in coverage," said Josh Jenkins, a friend of Allen's and webmaster of a fan site. "Am I surprised? Not at all. The media deals in extremes, in controversy, and Adam is certainly that. Kris' boy-next-door image isn't extraordinary. In fact, I'm sure we all know plenty of nice guys who resemble Kris. But one could argue, of course, the fact that Kris is ordinary is what makes his success more remarkable than Adam's."

Jenkins said he was not bothered by the seeming media bias leading up to the release of Allen's debut, because he believes the married Arkansas, native with the quiet, polite demeanor has the chops to release multiple albums and build up a solid fanbase. "If his music is any good, then the coverage, the fanbase and the critical acclaim will take care of itself," he said.

Those sentiments were echoed by MJ Santilli, the founder of a popular "Idol" blog, who said she'd noticed the coverage discrepancy, along with Allen's fans. "The media seems to be in love with Adam, as they were all through the competition," she said of the musical-theater belter whose flashy goth/ club-kid style and coy reveal of his sexuality has earned him practically nonstop coverage since "Idol" wrapped at the beginning of summer. "He's a big, colorful personality with an interesting backstory. He's mad talented. It will be interesting to see if he'll live up to the hype and become the superstar some in the media are predicting."

Allen, on the other hand, is the low-key type who appears to shy from the limelight almost as much as Lambert is drawn to it, even as he has begun doing more interviews and appearances to promote the album over the past few weeks. "His project, on the surface, seems more conventional than Adam's, and his collaborators aren't quite as sexy," she said of such Lambert ringers as Lady Gaga, Muse and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer. Allen, on the other hand, has written with less splashy collaborators such as the Fray's Joe King, Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and former "Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry, whose song "Send Me Down an Angel" will be a bonus track on the Wal-Mart version of Allen's album. "However, I still think it's going to all come down to the records Adam and Kris put out. In Adam's case, the hype surrounding him will help him, but it won't guarantee success."

One reason Allen's first single, "Live Like We're Dying," might not have gotten as much breathless hype as Lambert's first two songs — the "2012" super-ballad "Time for Miracles" and the glitter-sprinkled, dance-remix-ready title track "For Your Entertainment" — is because Allen's song is yet another cover. That's the theory espoused by Derrius Lockett, webmaster of an Allen-centric website, who likes Allen's do-over of the tune by Irish pop band the Script but was hoping for an original for the first single. "Live Like We're Dying" has gotten a solid, if slow, start on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, resting at #92 at press time after hitting #89 following its release and settling in at #38 on the current top 40 chart. By contrast, Lambert's "Miracles" debuted at #50 on the Hot 100 two weeks ago before falling out of the running, while "For Your Entertainment" has not yet charted.

"We, the fans, just wanted something new," he said. "As for Adam, I think it's just because he has all these star friends like Katy Perry, Ferras and many others. He even went to the Michael Jackson premiere in London with Katy Perry, where he could talk about his new song — which I do love — and CD, [and] before that he did the announcement for the American Music Awards, which I think Kris should have done."

Lockett lamented that the only places he's seen Allen are at a recent Miami Dolphins football game and some other scattered appearances that don't add up to the blitz from Lambert. That said, "Kris has the star potential, too, and I think his CD will be #1 on the charts," Lockett predicted. Download Live Like Were Dying Now!

Kris Allen knows he's not garnering as much attention as Adam Lambert — and that's OK with him.

Since foiling Lambert at the "American Idol" finale last May, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Conway, Ark., has not appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and declared he's gay. His music can't be heard during the credits of the apocalyptic action flick "2012." And you won't find him posing in a racy Details photo shoot with a naked woman.

"I don't mind," an always modest Allen says while perched in "Idol" overlord Simon Fuller's quiet office 10 stories above the Sunset Strip. "I think that's how I went through the competition as well. I did my thing, and it worked out. And that's how I'm going to do my music career. I'm just going to do my thing, what I like to do, and hopefully it works out."

His thing now is his self-titled album, which comes out Tuesday, a week before Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" is scheduled for release. As one might expect after watching his soulful "Idol" renditions of Kanye West's "Heartless" and "Falling Slowly" from the indie musical "Once," Allen's album is filled with melodic ballads and toe-tapping rock tunes.

Allen teamed with experienced producers like Toby Gad, Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton and Saalam Remi, but contributed more than just his voice and guitar-and-piano-playing prowess. Allen's name appears on the songwriting credits for all but four of the album's 13 songs — including "Red Guitar," a ditty Allen wrote for his wife, Katy, before his "Idol" run.

"I bought my wife a red guitar for her birthday a long time ago, hoping that she would play it," he says. "She never learned how, so it became a wall decoration in our apartment. One day, I took it off the wall and started playing it, and just started writing a song that ended up being about the guitar itself, which was not the greatest guitar in the world."

His beaming wife's face became a constant presence in the audience during Allen's "Idol" tenure, a move that judge Simon Cowell teased at risk of scaring off female fans. Throughout the post-"Idol" zaniness — the tour! the recording! the trip to Disney World! — Allen says she's kept him fully grounded and embraced their move from Arkansas to La La Land.

Allen admits he doesn't mind being mobbed by fans in public because "people are usually nice about it." But he's still not totally comfortable with on-camera interviews, despite some post-"Idol" media training. His goofy nice-guy demeanor remains refreshing, even when the chime from a friend's rather coarse text message interrupts the interview.

"If I just had one word to describe this entire experience, it would be nuts," Allen says. "It's just nuts going from being a happily married guy into the music industry and this crazy world of entertainment. But in the end, I get to do exactly what I like to do, and that's make music. That's what makes me happy. That's the thing that has always driven me."

Allen is looking forward to touring with his band next year and hopes to keep an Allen family Christmas tradition going strong this holiday. Every year, Allen's mother gives him and his brother, Daniel, a new pair of pajamas and a board game, which they play — no matter how long it takes — before going to bed. He already knows what game he wants this year.

"The new Monopoly with the big towers," he says, his eyes widening. "You can build cities. It's weird."Download Live Like Were Dying Now!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Does your city always get skipped during major concert tours!? Here's your chance to bring a one of a kind lineup directly to your city or town!

Ryan has American Idol’s Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta ready to perform live for the city with the most DEMANDS.

To submit your vote for Kris, Adam and Allison to come to your town, click on the banner! Don't forget to send all your friends and family to the Kris Allen Blog to vote - the town or city with the most votes wins the free concert! One vote per person.

Fans are taken behind the making of Allison Iraheta's music video supporting her single "Friday I'll Be Over U". She is seen rocking a leather jacket and jamming with her band. Also, there is a capture of the red-headed girl performing the track on a red lip-shaped couch.

"Friday I'll Be Over U" is the lead single taken from Allison's debut studio album "Just Like You" which is going to hit the stores across United States on December 1. It has been re-recorded in Spanish called "El Viernes Te Olvido Yo ".

Most recently, "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest announced that he will bring in Allison Iraheta together with her Idol pals Kris Allen and Adam Lambert for a reunion gig. The city with the most demands on Ryan's blog will get their visit.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen is less than a week away from releasing his self-titled debut album. To start off his promotion rounds, the singer stopped by the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien to perform his first single Live Like We’re Dying. With guitar in hand and backed by his band, Kris gave a spirited performance of the song.

Next up for Kris will be a performance on Good Morning America’s fall concert series on November 17th. Kris will play tunes from his debut that will be released the same day.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert all certainly have very distinct senses of style. So when the trio of "American Idol" stars teamed up for an Elle magazine photo shoot, they each got to express their individual sense of fashion. And, yes, that means that Lambert was wearing eyeliner and spiky platforms.

Lambert appears in the spread all dolled up in a glam suit posing with a microphone. "Accessories were the big thing for Adam," Elle creative director (and "The City" regular) Joe Zee says in his A to Zee column in the December issue.

"He's got a classic uniform of nonconformity," Zee continued about Lambert's look. "But I wanted the finishing touches to make his look a look. Think dangerous: chainmail scarf, link-chain gloves, spiked boots."

Just to illustrate the contrast of the singers' styles, Zee dressed Allen in Lambert-style wings and platforms — a look the "Idol" winner clearly can't pull off. But in the real spread, Allen embraces his "soulful quality" in a tie, vest and skinny black pants, holding an acoustic guitar. "He's like a young Chris Isaak who can sing in a stadium and make every person feel like it's a one-on-one performance," Zee wrote.

As for the only lady in the group, Zee wanted to keep Iraheta's personal aesthetic alive and make sure her rocker spirit was captured in the photos, dressing her in a figure-hugging one-sleeve dress and leopard-print ankle boots. "I'm very inspired by girl rockers," Zee explained, "especially a young Courtney Love and Grace Slick, and mixed kick-ass sexy with the toughness of her attitude and the music."

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The people have spoken--and they love Kris Allen. The American Idol winner was nominated for Favorite Breakout Artist and he took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Hollyscoop about his upcoming album, adapting to life in LA, and being a People's Choice nominee.

Here are some highlights from our exclusive one on one interview:

Hollyscoop: You won American Idol and now you’re getting all the nominations, do you feel good?Kris Allen: “Ya, Its cool man, I have been nominated for stuff before and this one is definitely a huge deal. People Choice is a big deal so, I heard my sitting down and talking to someone, and I was like oh cool.”

HS: So along with that you have a new album coming out next week.KA: "Yes, I have the album coming out next Tuesday, November 17. I'm really excited about it. There are 12 songs on there. Nine of them are co-written or written by me. I got one song in there that I had written couple of years ago. I had an awesome time writing the stuff and some really good stuff that I’m proud of.”

HS: Fans have been waiting for a while so what could they expect from it?KA: “I think that, the things I pay attention to, I wanted it to be songs that listening back to that I would like and sound like the stuff that I like listening to and so I try to pay attention to that which is you know focus on lyrics and like meaning, melodies and all that stuff.”

HS: The first single is out already, is that your favorite track on the album?KA “I wouldn't say that’s my favorite track.”

HS: Do you have a favorite track?KA “I do have a favorite track, it’s this song I wrote a couple years ago, its called Red Guitar.”

HS: And what is that about? What is the low down on that?KA : "It is about a guitar.”

HS: So how has your life changed since American Idol, winning the competition, how has it been different for you?KA: “It's just different. I live in LA now you know? I never thought that would happen growing up I never imagined myself living in LA, so this is cool and I get to get nominated for the People’s Choice Awards, I get to these TV shows, its just my life has completely changed."

HS: You seem very normal and humbleKA: “Thanks a lot, I try not to be too jaded.”

HS: What was your first job?KA: “My first job ever I worked at TCBY, yogurt.

HS: So you know how to make yogurt at home now?”KA: "I don’t know if I know how to make it, I know how to pull the lever down.”

HS: When you go to Pinkberry now your like I know how that works!KA: “I do go to Pinkberry, right.”

HS: What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Are you going back home?KA: "Yeah, I am going back home to spend some time with family for a couple days.”

HS: So what are you thankful for this year?KA: "I’m thankful that I get to make music and make albums and stuff like that. That’s the thing that I would say I'm the most thankful for. “

HS: What are you going to do for the New Years Eve and for the holidays?KA: "I’m going to go home for Christmas, I don’t know what I’m going to do for New Years! Maybe hangout with some friends. I have always talked about going to New York, so we’ll see what happens."

HS: Is everything good with you and your wife, Hollywood’s treating you guys well?KA: “Yeah, Absolutely.”

HS: How do you try to keep a normal life in this town?KA: “It is hard but we're pretty grounded people, so we got some friends out here so we just hang out.”

Want to get down with the eyelinered rocker? Enter for a chance to become a superstar for a day as Details and Adam Lambert transform you for a one-on-one photo shoot with the American Idol. Details brings the fashion, Adam brings the fierce — all you need to do is show up!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Does your city always get skipped during major concert tours!? Here's your chance to bring a one of a kind lineup directly to your city or town!

Ryan has American Idol’s Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta ready to perform live for the city with the most DEMANDS.

To submit your vote for Kris, Adam and Allison to come to your town, click on the banner! Don't forget to send all your friends and family to the Kris Allen Blog to vote - the town or city with the most votes wins the free concert! One vote per person.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Former American Idol finalists Kris Allen and Adam Lambert have taken their friendly rivalry to a new medium.

The American Idol eighth-season champ, Survivor host Jeff Probst and So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley will announce nominations for the 36th Annual People's Choice Awards on Tuesday morning along with Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara.

Last month, Lambert -- who finished as the runner-up to Allen during Idol's eighth-season finale -- announced the 2009 American Music Awards nominations with Paula Abdul.

Both Allen and Lambert will see their debut albums drop later this month.

Survivor producer Mark Burnett will executive produce the 36th Annual People's Choice Awards, which will air Wednesday, January 6 at 9PM ET/PT on CBS.

Being a diehard "American Idol" fan is an emotional roller-coaster. No matter how much you dig a performer on the show, by the time his or her album leaks your fandom has been deflated by less-than-awesome singles and frustrations with how they're being marketed. "Idol" albums are often over-written, over-produced and over-calculated, making the artist feel like studio-bots with little personality. "I'll like the songs on tour, without all the studio crap around it," you say to yourself, trying to save face when deep down you know your favorite new singer laid an egg.

Well, fans of our current "American Idol" can breathe a giant sigh of relief, because AOL premiered Kris Allen's self-titled major label debut this morning and it’s pretty damn good.

I jotted down some notes while listening to the CD for the first time. And MTV News would like me to share them with you.

» "Live Like We're Dying"Y'all know I love the single, which was originally a b-side from the Script, and Team Allen did right by starting the album strong. Besides, any power-pop album that features piano on the opening track instantly gets my seal of approval. (See: New Radicals' Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too.)

» "Before We Come Undone"Whew! What a massive improvement over the demo I heard over the summer. (It featured an ill-fitting electronic drum track. Did not want.) Reverse guitar and piano parts give the track a really neat unraveling sound, as if the song itself is coming undone along with the rocky relationship Kris sings about. If I have one gripe, it's that I feel like Kris' vocals sound just a smidge behind the beat, as if they decided to increase the track's tempo by a couple beats-per-minutes and forgot to update Kris' track.

» "Can't Stay Away"Allen's flirty side comes out to play in this white boy funk track. The verses sound like Maroon 5 without the whiny vocals, and the choruses are like Gavin DeGraw with less soul man posturing. Sorority girls: Be prepared to hear this when your frat guy boyfriends make you a new mix.

» "The Truth">>Kris' breathy ballad vocals remind me of Richard Marx on this track. Considering I'm a sucker for Marx's schmaltzy oeuvre, this one hooked me early, even if this Pat Monahan/Toby Gad-written song is considerably less cornball than Marx's massive hits. These lyrics really jumped out at me: "While the floors underneath our feet are crumbling/ The walls we built together tumbling/ I still stand here holding up the roof / 'Cause it’s easier than telling the truth." I can see why the Beatles-obsessed Allen chose this song, as the collapsing-house-metaphor recalls "Fixing a Hole."

» "Written All Over My Face"Another song from the Script fellas, and it has the same wordy, bouncy feel as the single. I like this song less than "Live Like We're Dying," but Kris' playful delivery injects the song with enough energy to save it for me. Or maybe it's just that the song's content — about his lack of a poker face in a relationship — reminds me of his pissed-off glare at Danny Gokey during their disastrous Styx duet. Let's just say I'm excited to see this one live.

» "Bring It Back"Kris teamed up with Adele mastermind Eg White for a heart-wrenching piano ballad. It's a gorgeous, understated production that keeps Kris' raw and honest vocals front and center.

» "Red Guitar"Swoon alert! Kris wrote this song for his wife before his "Idol" journey and it's an irresistible love song about a red guitar he gifted her. The U2-esque guitar sound on this one is especially winning, particularly because makes sense thematically. Although his wife isn't the best guitar player, he hears beautiful strums every time she picks it up. And as far as guitar players, U2's Edge is one of the top, yes?

» "Is It Over"Kris begs and pleads with a girl who recently dumped him on this bluesy guitar-driven waltz. But the "Woe is me" theme and the dramatic flare-ups on the song would make it a perfect contender for next season's "America Hates You This Week" elimination song on "Idol" results show.

» "Let It Rain"Kris penned this tune as a response to all the pressure he was feeling while making the album. Being the "American Idol" is hard, you guys! I know I just said "Is It Over" would be an apt "Idol" results show anthem, but this is definitely it. My criticism is that the decent-but-not-genius-hook doesn't really warrant the epic strings-and-all Goo Goo Dolls arrangement. (I was never a fan of "Iris," but that song's melody earned its over-the-top treatment.) However, right around the corner is ...

» "Alright With Me"... This! Kris may claim Paul McCartney is his biggest influence, but this catchy guitar sing-along (about enjoying "the chase") is essentially George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You (Part II)." This bouncy song is pretty impossible to dislike. How much fun will that falsetto note be to sing along with in concert? (To quote one of the lyrics, "I guess that means L-O-V-E.") Excuse me while I go dance in my chair some more.

» "Lifetime"The song's "I'm still learning how to be a man" message shows Kris' sensitive side. I have to call him out on skating on his Southern accent to cover up his less-than-kosher chorus rhyme scheme, though. Last time I checked, the words "symphony," "melody" and "be" do not rhyme with "say," even if Kris' drawl might suggest otherwise.

» "I Need To Know"Shockingly, this Fray-like piano-ballad was not the song Joe King co-wrote. (He did the boppy "Alright With Me.") Kris' voice is at its most vulnerable on this track, starting off as a croaky whisper. Cellos join him, then an orchestra, and by the time Kris belts "I need to knoooow" to his disinterested love, a tinkering electronic guitar fills out the sound. Kris might not have been known for his ballads on "Idol," but apparently we missed out. It's a great way to close the album.

» "Heartless"Kris arguably earned his spot in the "Idol" finale thanks to his acoustic switch-up of Kanye West's "Heartless," so it's not surprising that he included said cover as a bonus track. What is surprising, however, is the Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight" arrangement Salaam Remi whipped up. It's a fail. An interesting fail, but a fail nonetheless.

It's not a perfect album by any stretch of the imagination. (Don't you wish there was just one totally-acoustic song on there, Kris fans?) But as far as "Idol" albums go, it's fantastic. Kris' influences are loud and clear, yet the songs don't sound like lukewarm carbon-copies or wannabe retreads. Most importantly, Kris survived the major label machine without having his likeable personality swallowed up. In fact, the self-titled album sounds so quintessentially Kris that calling it anything other than Kris Allen would have felt disingenuous.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Kris Allen is about to start working very hard to promote his self-titled debut album. The "American Idol" winner reportedly has a list of gigs lined up for the next month, with some of the most prominent ones being appearances "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" and "The Ellen Show."

Here's a small list of highlights:

* November 13: "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" * November 17: "Good Morning America" * November 18: "Live With Regis and Kelly" * November 19: "The Ellen Show" * December 18: AOL Live sessions in New York

In between doing these gigs Kris Allen will also perform at a string of major concerts in Chicago, Sacramento, and of course at Madison Square Garden.Download Live Like Were Dying Now!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Kris Allen has revealed when an accompanying music video for his single "Live Like We're Dying" will come out. "Hey everyone the video for live like were dying is gonna be out nov 6! Watch it!" he wrote on Twitter.

"Live Like We're Dying" is the lead single off Kris' self-titled album "Kris Allen" and has been played on radios since September 21. It is a cover version of The Script's 2008 song which didn't make it to the band's debut album "The Script" but appeared in a b-side of their mini album "We Cry".

The album is slated for November 17 U.S. release. Snippets of its thirteen tracks have been made available for stream on Amazon Germany earlier this week. Four of them have been showcased live at Dolphin's Tailgate Stage Sunday, October 25. Most recently, a footage showing the album's photo shoot has been found.

Kris Allen will perform at New York City's Z100 Christmas Ball on December 11. He will be joined by David Archuleta, Jordin Sparks, Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Justin Bieber, The Fray, Boys Like Girls, Pitbull, Owl City and Jay Sean.